Fars news agency in Tehran affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard has harshly accused Iraqi Kurdish leaders of cooperating with foreign countries against Iran.

The tough-worded article says that Iraqi Kurdistan’s leadership has made northern Iraq a “backyard” for foreign intelligence services for creating insecurity in Iran and killing its nuclear scientists.

Iranian Kurdish separatist and opposition groups have bases in northern Iraq and Tehran often says they infiltrate into its territory for operations against government targets. The article by Fars accused the groups of assassinating a Kurdish shopkeeper a few days ago, who the insurgents thought supports the Islamic Republic.

Fars alleges that Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq “are fully aware” of operations and conspiracies against Iran and demands that the foreign ministry and the armed forces take actions against those responsible.

Iran last month used artillery and armed drones to attack targets in northern Iraq that it said were insurgent bases.

On October 7, Yahya Rahim-Safavi, the military adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warned Wednesday that Iran would not accept “any bordering country” hosting "anti-Iran terrorist groups."